Method of lining bearings



Jan. 27, 1931. F. c. JONES ET AL METHOD OF LINING BEARINGS Filed March25, 1929 WM, s, WMM

ATTolNEtS y 39 my invention will be described.

.35 vantageous properties of steel over bronze Patented Jan. 27, 1931UNITED sTATEs FREDERICK C. JONES AND 'VERNE SXILLMAN, 0F DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS T0 BOHN ALUMINUM t BRASS CORPORATION, 0F DETROIT,MICHIGAN, A CORPORA- TION 0F MICHIGAN METHOD 0F LINING BEARINGSApplication tiled March 25, 1929. Serial No. 349,781.

This invention relates to the method of lining bearings and moreparticularly to a method of lining steel back bearings with anon-ferrous alloy having a high copper base.

The present invention contemplates lining steel back bearings bycasting, the lining being attached to the shell either to the inner orouter surface thereof or to both as found desirable or expedient. Bythe' use of backiugs or shells of steel, in place of the customarybronze, a more durable bearing is produced because by reason of thegreater modulus of elasticity of the steel the shell is subject to onl afraction of the distortion to which the iironze shell is subject. Themethod forming the subject matter of the present invention and theadvantages incident thereto will be made more apparent as thisdescription proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure l is a semi-diagrammatic vertical sectional view through aCrucible and a mold by means of which one form of the present inventionwill be made more apparent; and

Figure 2 is a sentii-diagrammatic fragmentary perspective view ofapparatus by means of which the present method may be carried intoexecution in a slightly different manner.

By reference to Figure 1 the first form of The problem involved is thatof lining the shell or bearing back l() with a suitable bearing metal,it being understood that the shell or back 10 is formed of steel becauseof the adas mentioned hereinbefo-re.

It is proposed to line the shell 10 with a nonferrous alloy having ahigh copper base. An alloy for example of copper and lead in theapproximate proportions of 75% copper and 25% lead has been found t-o besatisfactory and to give good results.

The first step in the process is that of cleaning and fluxing the shelll() and both the cleaning and iuxing may be accomplished with anypreferred means and in any desired manner. The shell may however, beefficiently iiuxed by painting or otherwise coating the same with asolution of borax.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a crucible -l1 containing the bearingmetal 12 in a molten state. submerged well within the molten metal 12 isa mold 13 which consists of an outer mold member 14 and a. core 15. Themold is made of carbon or some other material capable of withstandingthe intense heat. The outer mold member 14 is provided with a recess 16,herein illustrated as circular in cross section to correspond to theexterior configuration of the shell 10. The recess 16 preferably tapersinwardly toward the bottom thereof and in this way the circumference oftherecess 16 at the bottom 17 thereof may be employed for centering theshell with respect to the mold. However it is obvious that any othercentering means may be employed.

The outer diameter o-f the core 15 is less than the inner diameter ofthe shell to provide an annular space 18 therebetween. The mold 13 isprovided with a. lifting frame 19 by means of which the same may beplaced in and removed from the Crucible 11.

After the shell 10 has been cleaned and fluxed it is dipped, as forinstance by means of tongs 20 into the mass of molten hearing metal atthe top of the Crucible above the mold 13. This acts to produce or causea preliminary conditioning of" the surface of the shell by causing afilm of `the hearing` metal to adhere thereto and to partially raise thetemperature of the shell to a point nearer that of the molten bearingmetal. This preliminary treatment of the shell prepares the surfacethereof to receive the lining which is subsequently to be castthereonand to this extent functions the same as the tinning operation employedfor preparing bearing shells for a lining of Babbitt material or thelike.

After this lpreliminary treatment of the vshell or bearing back 10 it isplaced in the mold without exposing the same to the air which wouldcause an oxidation of the metal adhering to the surface thereof. This isaccomplished by placing the shell 10 wit-hin the mold without removingthe same from the molten metal 12.

iVhen the lshell 10 is'placed within the mold as illustrated in fulllines in Figure 1, a. coating or lining of metal adheres to the innersurface thereof, this lining being substantially equal in thickness tothe annular space 18 provided between the core 15 and the inner surfaceof the shell. The shell 10 is permitted to remain Within the mold untilthe temperature of the shell has been raised to that of the moltenbearing metal. 'Ihis condition is enerally indicated when themetalceases ubbling or kicking.

While in the described method some of the bearing metal adheres to theouter surface of the shell, this may be subsequently removed in thefinishing operation.

Obviously with the present method the lining may also be cast on theoutside only of the shell or may be cast both on the inside and outsideof the shell. In the first instance the core 15 will be sufficientlyenlarged to fit the interior of the shell snugly to thus prevent thebearing metal from coming in contact with and adhering to the innersurface of the shell and under these conditions the size of the recess16 will be such as to provide an annular space between the outer surfaceof the shell and the wall of the recess so that a coating of the bearingmetal may adhere to the outer surface of the shell. In cases where it isdesirable to cast a lining of a non-ferrous alloy on both surfaces ofthe shell annular spaces will be provided both between the core15 andthe inner surface of the shell and between the wall of the recess 16 andthe outer surface of the shell.

` By reference to Figure 2 a slightly modified form of the presentinvention will be described. In this form the mold is not submerged inthe molten bearing metal but the bearing metal is poured into the moldafter the shell or bearing back has been placed therein. The shell isgiven its preliminary treatn'ient or is conditioned in the moltenbearing metal and is then placed in the mold whereupon the bearing metalis poured into the mold in such a manner as to cause the Sallie toadhere to the desired surfaces thereof. All of the these operations arecarried on in the presence of burnerswhich will exclude the air fromcontact with the shell and thus prevent oxidation, these burners alsomaintaining the ymold at the temperature of the molten metal.

In Figure 2 it will be noted that the mold 21 is illustrated as arrangedin proximity to a crucible 22 which is preferably provided with apouring lip 23 whereby the Crucible may be lifted and the metal pouredinto the mold 21 after the shell has been placed therein. The shell 10,after being cleaned and fluxed as previously described, will be first'mold and according to the structure of the mold is brought into contactwith either the inner or outer surface or both surfaces of the shell asdesired. Instead of pouring. the \molten metal from the crucible 22 itmay obyiously be transferred therefrom to the mold by a ladle. Thereference character 27 indicates a plurality of burners located aroundthe mold and Crucible so that the steps of the process may be carried onin the presence of the flame from these burners whereby the shell 10 iskept from contact with the air.

In accordance with this invention the shells which are lined either ontheir inner or outer surfaces with the herein described alloy maythereafter have their other surface coated with a layer of Babbittmaterial which may be applied thereto in any preferred manner as forinstance by means of centrifugal depositing. Under such conditions theresulting product would be a bearing having a copper alloy lining on onesurface thereof and a Babbitt lining on the other surface thereof.

Obviousl the invention is capable of modification within certain limitsand to this end reservation is made to make such changes andmodifications as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In the method of lining steel bearing shells, those steps whichconsist in treating the surface of the shell with a molten metal andcasting a coating of lining metal on the surface of the shell Whilemaintaining the shell substantially free from contact with the air.

2. In the method of lining steel back bearings by casting, those stepswhich consist in preliminarily conditioning the surface of the bearingback by submerging the same in the molten lining metal and then applyinga coating of lining metal by casting to that surface of the bearing backto be lined without removing the same from the molten bath.

3. In the method of lining bearing shells, those steps which consist incleaning and fluxing the shell, conditioning the surface thereof bysubmerging the shell in the molten lining metal and placing the shell ina mold submerged in the molten lining metal.

4. The method of casting linings of a nonferrous alloy on steel backbearings which consists in cleaning and fluxing the bearing back,conditioning the surface thereof by submerging the same in the moltenbearing metal and casting the lining thereon While the bearing back isarranged in a mold submerged in the molten bearing metal.

5. In the method of lining bearing shells, those steps which consist inproviding a molten mass of lining metal consisting of copper and lead insubstantially the proportions of 75% copper and 25% lead, conditioningthe surface of the shell b submerging the same in the molten metal anthen casting the lining on the shell while maintaining the shellsubstantiallyfree from Contact with the air. l

6. In the method of lining bearing shells, those steps which consist inpioviding a molten massof lining metal consisting of a non-ferrous alloyhaving a high copper base,

conditioning the surface of the shell by submerging the same in themolten metal and then casting the lining on the shell while maintainingthe shell substantially free from contact with the air.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

FREDERICK C. JONES. VERNE SKILLMAN.

